Do LifeMiles Expire? How to Keep Your Avianca Miles Active

LifeMiles has one of the strictest expiry policies out there. Your miles are gone after 12 months of no earning activity. And redeeming doesn't count as activity. Only earning does.

So you could use 50,000 miles for a flight, and your remaining balance would still expire if you haven't earned anything in 12 months. Most programs aren't this strict.

How Long Do LifeMiles Last?

12 months from your last earning activity. Every time you earn miles (through flights, transfers, or purchases), the clock resets for your entire balance.

If you have Avianca elite status, you get 24 months instead.

What Resets the Clock

Flying on Avianca or any Star Alliance airline and crediting to LifeMiles will extend your expiry. So will hotel stays with Marriott Bonvoy, IHG, or Best Western. Car rentals with Hertz, Avis, National, or Budget work too.

Buying miles directly also counts as earning. LifeMiles runs promotions pretty often with bonuses up to 170%. If you're close to expiry and don't have immediate travel plans, buying a small batch during a promotion is an easy way to keep your balance alive.

What Doesn't Reset the Clock

Redeeming miles for flights or upgrades. This is the part that catches people off guard. You'd think any account activity would count, but LifeMiles specifically requires earning.

Transferring from India

HDFC is the only Indian bank that transfers to LifeMiles. The ratio is 2:1, meaning 100 HDFC points become 50 LifeMiles. Only Infinia, Diners Club Black, and Regalia Gold can do this transfer, and it goes through within 24 hours.

The 2:1 ratio isn't amazing, but for certain redemptions it can still make sense. Especially when you factor in that LifeMiles doesn't charge fuel surcharges on most bookings.

Marriott Bonvoy also transfers at 3:1 (60,000 Bonvoy = 20,000 LifeMiles), plus you get 5,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 transferred.

Some Redemptions Worth Knowing

LifeMiles can book any Star Alliance airline. A few examples from India:

Bengaluru to San Francisco on Air India Business Class costs 90,000 miles plus about $75 in taxes. Delhi to Tokyo on ANA Business Class is 48,000 miles plus $27. And if you want to go all out, Bengaluru to Frankfurt on Lufthansa First Class is 80,000 miles plus $34.

The low taxes are because LifeMiles doesn't add fuel surcharges on most partner bookings.

If Your Miles Already Expired

You can reinstate them at $10 per 1,000 miles. There's no limit on how many you can bring back. Whether that's worth it depends on what you were planning to redeem for.

Keeping Track

Log into your LifeMiles account and your expiry date should be visible with your balance. If you're not sure when you last earned, don't wait to find out. Transfer some HDFC points or buy a small batch of miles during the next promotion.

We've written similar guides for other programs: Flying Blue, Air India Maharaja Club, and Qatar Avios.